The Unnaturalists (The Unnaturalists, #1)

Aug 17, 2012 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve never thought I’d use the words thoroughly confusing and totally engrossing to describe the same book, but it’s been a long time since I’ve come across anything as peculiar as The Unnaturalists. This is a hard book to categorize, a little bit of steampunk, a little bit of alternate history, a little bit of paranormal - actually, I’m not quite sure what this is but what I am sure of is that Tiffany Trent has done some of the most imaginative world building I’ve ever read.

The appeal for me, w...more I’ve never thought I’d use the words thoroughly confusing and totally engrossing to describe the same book, but it’s been a long time since I’ve come across anything as peculiar as The Unnaturalists. This is a hard book to categorize, a little bit of steampunk, a little bit of alternate history, a little bit of paranormal - actually, I’m not quite sure what this is but what I am sure of is that Tiffany Trent has done some of the most imaginative world building I’ve ever read.

The appeal for me, which could probably also be a huge turnoff for some, is that Trent doesn’t spend a lot of time on explanations or details, instead she dives right into the story, leaving me to figure out exactly what’s going on from the name drops and facts she provides. I’m immediately thrust into a world of Pedants, Architects, Tinkers, and Unnaturals, and though it takes me awhile to get my bearings, I had a lot of fun finding it, figuring out the point of the story. Some background knowledge of mythological creatures and Victorian era science goes a long way too (think steampunk unicorns for starters), but the plot’s fairly enjoyable even as I was finding my way. And although I think being somewhat lost and figuring out the plot is half the fun of this book, I’m gonna summarize the back story just in case, so spoiler alert.

Ok, so sometime during the turn of the last century Nikola Tesla (reverently referred to as Saint Tesla in the book) somehow opened up a gateway to the fairy world, and sucked a bunch of people through with his invention. A couple of hundred years later, the descendants have built up this city, New London, where they rely on a form of energy called myth to power their machines - except myth can only be gotten by killing the magical creatures native to the fairy world. Oh, and killing these creatures, the Unnaturals, causes this dead zone called the Creeping Waste that kills all life on it to expand. The story’s told through two different points of view, Vespa, who wants to be a Pedant, sort of a scholar of the Unnaturals, and Syrus, a Tinker, one of the outcasts who live outside the city and rely on the mercy of the Unnaturals rather than myth power. Obviously, collecting myth is destroying the world and the initial focus of the plot, but there’s way more to it beyond just that, there are a few really good twists with almost perfect foreshadowing.

The premise is the main reason why I think this book is so great, but Vespa and Syrus weren’t too bad either. Vespa’s trying to be the first female Pedant in a couple of hundreds of years, so watching her balance her goal with saving the city from the Waste was pretty cool for the most part, although at a few points her relationship with fellow Pedant Hal Lumin becomes a bit too angsty for my tastes, Vespa could’ve been a little stronger. Cyrus is caught up in most of the action, maybe a little too much compared to Vespa, but they both do their parts saving the world, I guess it balances out.

Probably my biggest complaint about this book is its length, although I don’t think The Unnaturalists really needs stuff like more detailed explanations of the backstory or a less rushed ending, I just feel like this book ended too quickly. Or maybe I was so immersed in this wacky mix of mythology and steampunk I didn’t notice how fast the pages flew by. But either way though, I definitely enjoyed this.(less)

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May 17, 2012 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Unnaturalists

By Tiffany Trent

Simon & Schuster BFYR

August 14, 2012

The story flows between Vespa Nyx, an unnaturalist in the Museum of Unnatural History and Syrus Reed, a Tinker from Tinkerville. Both are coming of age in a world where anything magic is considered evil and science is the new religion. They both must work together along with sympathizers to their cause in order to save the world from destruction. The novel begins right before the main character, Vespa’s self discovery.

The U...more The Unnaturalists

By Tiffany Trent

Simon & Schuster BFYR

August 14, 2012

The story flows between Vespa Nyx, an unnaturalist in the Museum of Unnatural History and Syrus Reed, a Tinker from Tinkerville. Both are coming of age in a world where anything magic is considered evil and science is the new religion. They both must work together along with sympathizers to their cause in order to save the world from destruction. The novel begins right before the main character, Vespa’s self discovery.

The Unnaturalists is an action packed young adult science fiction/fantasy that fits well into the steampunk realm because it is set in a Victorian era alternate universe where steam power is used to run the city via “myth,” a substance created in refineries throughout New London. There is a hint of romance in the novel with love interests between Vespa and Pedant Lumin and Mistress Virulen and Pedant Lumin.

There are no historical characters so to speak but the author does use actual scientists of the Victorian era that the people of New London worship as saints in their Church of Science, which fits well into the theme of magic versus science that runs throughout the novel. Another element that runs throughout the story is that peace should be sought above all else to solve one’s problems. There is an ecological undercurrent to the novel to stop using nature as a means to power man-made machines.

There are no holes in this novel and is beautifully written. Tiffany Trent’s novel is action packed throughout and each chapter has a nice bit of action holding the reader’s attention to the next chapter. There are however, nice bits of comic relief via the Sylphid, Piskel’s, crazy actions and Syrus Reed and Pedant Lumin’s comments to each other from time to time during or after a sticky situation has occurred.

The author uses first person style of writing when the action is centered around the main character, Vespa. Tiffany Trent uses adjectives that make one feel as if they are right there with the characters experiencing the action first hand. The novel’s pace and length were just right bringing closure to the main conflict of the story while setting up the anticipation for a second novel.

A very enjoyable read.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: august-2012-hotp, reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

The worldbuilding in THE UNNATURALISTS is top notch. Fantastical creatures, mysterious magic, deadly consequences for those who misuse it, and an origin story that is so good it deserves it’s own book. An entire society sprang up after Tesla–yes the Tesla–broke through to another world and took half of London with him. There is no way back, so New London has progressed from this point in several alternate ways from ours. The Victorian era never ended, a...more Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

The worldbuilding in THE UNNATURALISTS is top notch. Fantastical creatures, mysterious magic, deadly consequences for those who misuse it, and an origin story that is so good it deserves it’s own book. An entire society sprang up after Tesla–yes the Tesla–broke through to another world and took half of London with him. There is no way back, so New London has progressed from this point in several alternate ways from ours. The Victorian era never ended, and Steampunk/magic progressed. Science and Logic are the religion of the day with references to St. Darwin and St. Bacon. All these little details unfold beautifully and naturally throughout the book without ever resorting to dreaded info dumps.

Of the two protagonists in THE UNNATURALISTS, I only ended up connecting with Vespa, the curious and ambitious daughter of The Museum of Unnatural History curator. She had a contagious excitement about the creatures she studied and a reckless streak that got her into just enough trouble to be interesting without being foolhardy. Syrus fell a bit flat for me. He was written in 3rd person and is much younger. His life as an outcast Tinker just didn’t grab me even as numerous tragedies befell him.

There is a small romance in THE UNNATURALISTS, though not between Vespa and Syrus. It didn’t quite come together for me as I never fully bought into Vespa’s attraction for this guy. She fell pretty quickly and repeatedly threw herself at him. I would have preferred it if Vespa had kept her hormones in check and let the potential relationship simmer. I didn’t end up feeling her anxiety when various obstacles sprang up between them.

Splitting chapters between two protagonists slowed things down as ultimately only one had a compelling story. The romance also failed to entice. The real saving grace is the worldbuilding. The amazing New London and even more amazing history in THE UNNATURALISTS make it a good read for Steampunk fans. No word on a sequel, but the ending certainly leaves room for a potential series.

Sexual Content:
Kissing(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Missy Frye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, 2012-reads, steampunk

Being relatively new to Steampunk, I’m not sure what elements I should look for when choosing books. That is to say I don’t know for sure what I like and dislike about the genre. The ratings and reviews for Tiffany Trent’s The Unnaturalists were vastly varied. That intrigued me enough to give it a try.

Synopsis taken from Goodreads:
In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.

Vespa Nyx want

...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Ji Mei ^_^ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-fiction, fantasy-fiction, historical-fiction, science-fiction

I really liked the world this author created. I loved the fantasy steampunk themes. It was a creative world and a great way the world came into be. And even though I couldn't let it down, there were a couple things that bothered me. I didn't like the great similarity with the scarlet W to The Scarlet Letter (which I just read in my AP class). I probably wouldn't care if I haven't read The Scarlet Letter. But since I did, I'm kind of annoyed that it was way to similar to be original. I understand...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Becca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

DNF halfway through. I was so excited about this one, but it just wasn't hitting me at an emotional level. It was just confusing.

A little more, because I feel like writing a real review:

I wish The Unnaturalists was as cool, clear, and well-defined as its cover is.

I was so ready to love this book the minute I read the summary. Girl scientist in a steampunk, alternate Victorian London? Soooooo sweet. I was beyond excited when I got an ARC in the mail (thanks for the heart attack, Simon & Schus...more DNF halfway through. I was so excited about this one, but it just wasn't hitting me at an emotional level. It was just confusing.

A little more, because I feel like writing a real review:

I wish The Unnaturalists was as cool, clear, and well-defined as its cover is.

I was so ready to love this book the minute I read the summary. Girl scientist in a steampunk, alternate Victorian London? Soooooo sweet. I was beyond excited when I got an ARC in the mail (thanks for the heart attack, Simon & Schuster Canada!), because usually they just send me ARCs of sequels to books I haven't read and then I have to give them away.

I was still set to love it when I read the first, breathtaking sentence: "The Sphinx stares at me from her plinth." Right on the first page, Vespa Nix is in the Museum of Unnatural History, being cornered by a freaking Sphinx. You soon find out that the Sphinx is frozen in a time-warp forcefield thing and of no real danger, which is an epic mind trip. God, the first page is so cool.

But after that -- very soon after, on like the second page -- the book becomes muddled. Vespa is pushed (by a mysterious, anonymous hand) into the forcefield and she's trapped in a forcefield-like room thing where the Sphinx is ALIVE and ABLE TO HARM HER, and you're all like OH SHIT MAN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HOW'S SHE GOING TO ESCAPE?!?!

But... the Sphinx just kinda looks at her. And stuff. It seems like the author is going for a super-tense, omg-is-she-about-to-spring-and-attack? kind of moment, but it drags on for, like, a couple pages of description of the moment so it ceases to be tense anymore because you're pretty sure the Sphinx is still frozen, in the author's own description freeze-frame, so she can't possibly hurt Vespa anyway.

And oh, Vespa. Vespa Nix. What an awesome name. And she's a POC (maybe mixed race?) girl in the book AND on the cover, whoot! But unfortunately, not even that -- and not even her killer dress -- can save her for me. She sounds like a Valley Girl, and in a Victorian (or pseudo-Victorian) setting, it's just so, so distracting. Also, for all that they try to make her this passionate scientist, she spends all of two minutes studying science in this book. She talks on and on about how much she wants to be the first female scientist in her world, but she never even talks or thinks about her so-called passion. She's too busy fawning over her brand-new, shiny Love Interest, Pedant Lumin/Hal/Bayne/The Architect.

I hate the love interest, by the way. He honestly had four names, and he's called each of them quite a lot of times. Who is this guy?!?! He's a scientist at the museum. No, he's a secret agent for the Architects. No, he's a lord's son. He had a major identity issue; I couldn't identify him, much less swoon over him, because I never got a clear picture of him.

I should probably mention the POV of this book. Half of it is in Vespa's first-person POV. The other half is third person POV following a young (how young, though, I wasn't really sure... maybe 12 or 13?) Tinker (think gypsy) named Syrus Reed. The two stories are barely related. The POV characters see each other a handful of times and they're loosely connected in a plot kind of way, but the discrepancy between the POVs is just too big. It felt like two novels stuck roughly together. I would have greatly preferred this book to be entirely in Syrus's third person POV. But that book, if it existed, would fit much better into the middle grade world.

I dunno. This book was just muddled.(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jamie Poorman

APA Citation: Trent, T. (2012). The Unnaturalists. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster.

Genre: Science-fiction (steampunk)

Format: Hardcover, 305 pages.

Awards: Green Earth Book Award

Selection Process: Booklist review, School Library Journal Review

Vespa Nyx is a witch. In the scientific world of New London where individuals like Darwin and Tesla are revered, worshiped even, this is a very dangerous trait. Vespa’s father is the curator of the Museum of Unnatural History where mythological...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Spark740 rated it 3 of 5 stars

For everything bad thing about this book, there's something good.

The first half was bad; the second half good. Which makes a decision difficult.

The language is often quite sophisticated, using precise terms (especially in architecture) to convey surroundings. On the other hand, there's a giant crapload of metaphors and similes in the first half of the novel. For example, "anger flared like white-hot lightning". EXCUSE ME. All lightning is white-hot. The first half of the book quite bogs the rea...more For everything bad thing about this book, there's something good.

The first half was bad; the second half good. Which makes a decision difficult.

The language is often quite sophisticated, using precise terms (especially in architecture) to convey surroundings. On the other hand, there's a giant crapload of metaphors and similes in the first half of the novel. For example, "anger flared like white-hot lightning". EXCUSE ME. All lightning is white-hot. The first half of the book quite bogs the reader down with overgrown language.
Ah dearie me, it's a steam punk mythic novel. Which means info dumping is legal. However, at the beginning the author infodumped on some little details and didn't on others and gave no reason why. That discouraged me more. However I got bored and kept reading; what do you know, it actually got terribly thick and exciting. The writing smoothed out perfectly!

But then the climax disappointed me. It's one of those sprawling climaxes that reads more like backstory to a sequel than endings to the loose ends of a plot. The whole Olivia thing is very vague. On the other hand, Syrus was a deeply interesting character who turned out different than I expected ( although earlier on, he was WAY too melodramatic for his age. That was cruddy.)
I feel very swishy washy and I bet you do too. While there are a lot of things going for this book, there is also much against it. One last thought: the originality . Two thumbs up; but on the reverse, the Chinese-London thing is confusing. It was like, steampunk, cool, myths, London, research, corsets, sylphids, neat, - and then "Wo shi": which I know is "I am" in Chinese. Like whoa. And then in the end the author was like, heyyyy since there's no other solution let's make a Chinese dragon live under London!

That disrupted my humors greatly. So while I would not recommend it, if that appeals to you, go ahead: it's pretty clean. There's only one kiss. And like the rest of the novel, it's not amazing, but it's not terrible.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Jacqie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: didnt-finish

Stopped about 60 pages in. I gave the book 3 stars because of the amazing world-building and vision of the author. However, after getting such a good setting I wanted a better story within it.

I'll talk about the background first. The book is set in an alternate world which was broken into by Tesla (Saint Tesla in this book) a long time ago. There are magical things in this world like sphinxes, harpies, sylphoids (pixies), and Elementals. The theme seems to be that humans are consuming all the ma...more Stopped about 60 pages in. I gave the book 3 stars because of the amazing world-building and vision of the author. However, after getting such a good setting I wanted a better story within it.

I'll talk about the background first. The book is set in an alternate world which was broken into by Tesla (Saint Tesla in this book) a long time ago. There are magical things in this world like sphinxes, harpies, sylphoids (pixies), and Elementals. The theme seems to be that humans are consuming all the magic in the world to power their society and turning what's left into Waste. We get nullsuits and goggles which people use to protect themselves in the wild, a huge museum with magical creature on display while held in stasis, Pedants who can channel some sort of magic and a rebellious group called the Architects of Athena, who seem to be concerned about magical creatures and the environment. There are various saint/scientists like Bacon and Newton. I'd like to have learned more about how science and religion have been conflated- I think it's an interesting idea.

Sadly, the story doesn't match the backdrop. Vespa, our main character, wants to be a scientist, but the character traits I've seen from her so far show that she's more interested in winding people up emotionally than in showing common sense. She's almost like a romantic comedy heroine; she'll mess something up and then our hero will come along to save her as she's cutely trying to deal with the situation. She does have sort of a chillingly detached attitude towards mounting displays of dead pixies- that's the most I see out of her as far as scientific potential. I didn't really care much for Syrus, the other POV character. He's a young Tinker boy who lives in the wilds and understands some magic and is plucky and resourceful. I think that the alternating chapters spent on him would have been better spent developing Vespa more as a character instead.

There's also some seeming contradictions in this world. I'm not clear what the difference is between sanctioned magic and bad witch magic, but maybe I just didn't get far enough. Syrus talks about how babies with any magical ability are abandoned outside the city and picked up by the Tinkers, but two pages later is talking about how the city is trying to eradicate any magic at all. Then why leave babies to be raised by Tinkers and be captured later after they've learned more about magic? How are the Tinkers even allowed to exist?

It seems like a very basic girl-wants-what-society-won't-let-her-have plot put into a really fascinating setting. The irritating parts of the story didn't let me fall into the book enough to finish it.

For a more in-depth treatment of the 19th century naturalist in fiction, check out Sean Russell's "World Without End". Be warned, it's close to a thousand pages, but it really captures that naturalist spirit (and writing style). For a good alternate-world series, try starting with "The Briar King" by Greg Keyes. (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much, for the most part. It's very well-written, and the blend of steampunk "science" and magic was well-planned and almost reminiscent of a Miyazaki film -- a feeling that was accentuated by the pro-environment, anti-industrialism tone. This book is most definitely in the realm of magical/supernatural steampunk, rather than science fiction in tone. It paints a picture of an alternate universe where New Londoners demonized the natural, magical world in favor of a "logica...more I enjoyed this book very much, for the most part. It's very well-written, and the blend of steampunk "science" and magic was well-planned and almost reminiscent of a Miyazaki film -- a feeling that was accentuated by the pro-environment, anti-industrialism tone. This book is most definitely in the realm of magical/supernatural steampunk, rather than science fiction in tone. It paints a picture of an alternate universe where New Londoners demonized the natural, magical world in favor of a "logical scientific" one. Magical creatures ("Unnaturals") are kept in museums, practicing magic is punishable by death, and the people who still live with the forest outside the city ("Tinkers") are captured and enslaved in the city's factories.

This book had a unique narration style, which took some getting used to. It's told in dual-POV, but the alternating chapters are told in first-person present (Vespa, our heroine) and third-person present (Syrus, a pre-teen Tinker boy). It's a style I haven't seen much of before, and it was strange, but it worked for the most part. The voice is about what you'd expect from a Victorian-style novel set in London, which is to say very proper and... Victorian. With some odd modern-day flair thrown in? Hm. Sometimes it felt like there was a little too much attention paid to the clothes/description/niceties, which slowed down the pacing, but if you're into those sorts of details, it'll probably work for you. Some of the characters/names are difficult to keep straight for reasons I won't spoil, but... yeah.

The descriptions were lovely, and the story itself was a good one. If you enjoy a plot along the lines of the girl with powers she didn't know she had, the boy trying to protect magic from those who would abuse it, and a journey toward protecting the forest, you'll dig this. There's a romantic subplot that I feel pretty "meh" about. It wasn't bad, but it felt sudden and I didn't get very much chemistry. Still, I thought it was mostly well-handled, and it didn't overtake the main storyline. There's a lot packed into this book, and I'm a little surprised to see it's the first in a series, because this one seemed to wrap up very nicely (people who hate cliffhangers, take note).

Overall, and enjoyable read and a great, well-written addition to the YA Steampunk genre.(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Unnaturalists is an intriguing blend of steampunk and fantasy, a mix I haven't previously read, but one that works so well together I'm surprised I haven't come across it before. The blend made for a complex world filled with segregation, taboos and mystery, all of which greatly enriched the story.

Told from the alternating viewpoints of sixteen year old Vespa (an aspiring unnaturalist) and 13 year old tinker, Syrus, the reader gets to see the story from both sides of the problem. Tinkers, a...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Jenn Estepp rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenage-wasteland, steam-is-for-punks

2 1/2, but I feel generous, so we bump up. That said, I feel really conflicted about this book. I wanted to like it so much more than I actually did. There's a lot that is theoretically very good here, but I feel like the execution is off. Someone else used the word "muddled" to describe it, and I think that's spot-on. I feel like Trent did a whole heck of a lot, in terms of coming up with the alternate world she gives us here, but sometimes forgot that we readers don't live in her head and as s...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kayla

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick and Dirty: Two teens fight to save the world from destruction.

Opening Sentence: The sphinx stared at me from her plinth.

The Review:

Vespa doesn’t want to conform to the usual role of a lady. Syrus has a power that has to be kept secret. Both want to change the current world they live in. Together their fates are cleverly intertwined. The story is told from both Vespa and Syrus’s points of views. For those looking for romance, The Unnaturalists is not whe...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Thao rated it 3 of 5 stars

All right then. Prepare yourself because I wasn't.

I was interested in this book, due to the cover and my fascination with steampunk fiction. In the beginning, I was getting into Vespa's world, ignoring my confusion with the Old/New London; it took a while for me to understand the difference.

There was great action, and the detail was amazing. I certainly laughed at some humorous parts, and the ending was very pleasing to me.

However, there were places that were unclear to me. The chapters end so a...more All right then. Prepare yourself because I wasn't.

I was interested in this book, due to the cover and my fascination with steampunk fiction. In the beginning, I was getting into Vespa's world, ignoring my confusion with the Old/New London; it took a while for me to understand the difference.

There was great action, and the detail was amazing. I certainly laughed at some humorous parts, and the ending was very pleasing to me.

However, there were places that were unclear to me. The chapters end so abruptly, I get confused whether the character died or not. The descriptions were strange because I couldn't get a picture of what Vespa's world REALLY looked like.

And here comes the irritating part about the characters. Bayne/Hal is a complete loser in my eyes; he doesn't fight when Charles is attacking him, he doesn't stand to help Vespa when she's in trouble near the second half of the novel, and I don't even know his true potential in magic. I didn't even know he had to save his magic to help others because he seemed so heroic in the beginning.
Vespa was a character I thought was great at first, but then she got all lovey-dovey with Bayne for whatever reason since she barely knew the guy. Sheesh, these hormonic teenagers. And then she's all freaked out because she can't use her magic; at least use your brain, woman, to find out WHY. JEEZ. What's the use of having a brain if you don't use it?
Now, here's the coolest character in the book: Syrus. His name is so awesome though; I LOVE IT. He's talented in the wildlife, language, and tried his utmost to be firm and strong despite the loss of his loved ones. I wonder what it would be like if Syrus was in Bayne's place. But, then again, I wouldn't want him to fall in love with Vespa.
She's all, "Remembering past kisses", when she only really kissed the guy ONCE. I'm not saying which guy. The second time their lips touched, it was just a brush, so it doesn't count as a KISS. SEE HOW SHE ANNOYS ME.

Well, I got to say though, the book does have potential. I enjoyed the action, and the idea of it all. It sort of reminded me of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I like me some steampunk.(less)

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Dec 20, 2012 K. Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars

Vespa Nyx and Syrus Reed live on opposite sides of the economic tracks in New London. Vespa works in her father's museum-- tending to stuffed sylphids, frozen Sphinxes, and categorizing new species of Unnaturals in the shadow of the Empresses' myth refineries.

Syrus lives with his family of Tinkers near the outskirts of town, at one with the forest and the spirits that live there, especially the Manticore.

When Vespa's father gets mixed up with people bent on stealing the Manticore's clockwork hea...more

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Nov 29, 2012 The Library Lady rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

Some years ago I was flummoxed because one of my favorite authors Anne McCaffrey wrote a blurb on the jacket of one of the worst pieces of fan fiction I have ever seen: Eragon.I mean,that hack Christopher Paolini lifted the names from J.R.R.Tolkien and most of the plot from "Star Wars" (why in hell didn't George Lucas sue for plagiarism?) but he'd clearly stolen the dragons straight from HER books, starting with the hatching scene!

On the other hand, every single book I've read recently with a bl...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Angie by: Melody

Shelves: magic, steampunk, teen-fiction, fantasy, website

The Unnaturalists is an unusual book. It is a mix of fantasy, magic, history and steampunk. It is set in New London where 600 years ago the people where sucked through a portal into this new world. Along with the people, buildings from various periods of time were also sucked through. The world they landed in had many creatures who the people called unnaturals. They hunt the unnaturals and use them to fuel their world.

Vespa Nyx is the daughter of the head of the Museum in New London. She wants...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Viridian5 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, young-adult

Other people reviewing this book have used the word "muddled," which really works for me too. The book alternates chapters in third person concentrating on Cyrus with first person present-tense chapters from Vespa's POV. Cyrus is often in mortal danger as he tries to rescue his kidnapped people, while Vespa is concerned with smaller, pettier things. The cover leads you to expect steampunk with its science fiction bent--as does the characters' intriguing religion of Science and Rationality, with...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book even though it was an interesting read. It had parts where I was confused about where it was going but it wasn't that bad. After you think about it. Also the characters where like able which includes Vespa Nyx the girl who wants to prove that she can make it in a mans world. Also theres Syrus the tinker who just wants to help his people and then theres Bayne Grimgorn who just want to do what he wants and not be like his parents.On the other side theirs of co...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunky, read-in-2013

Almost equal parts good and bad. The bad: some really cheesy, awful writing (lots of bad similes and metaphors, ugh) at times. I would be sailing along through the story, and then the writing itself would jar me out of it. The romance part (if you can call it that) was also a little irritating because it was so random and a little cliched/ridiculous. The first ~30 pages were difficult for me to get through; I felt the beginning could have used some smoothing.

BUT. The good parts: once you get int...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Carla rated it 3 of 5 stars

You can see the inspiration of The Golden Compass within the pages of this book. The myths, the magical dust, the unique creatures - it's all here.
Vespa Nyx is hoping to follow in her father's footsteps in studying the Unnatural in the New London. Science and Order rules, or so the appearance of it, with Saints such as Tesla and Bacon, the old order seems washed away.
Hal Binon (aka Bayne) is off to uncover what is a conspiarcy that has lead him to the museum, and Syrus (a tinker) seems to hold a...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Sandi rated it 1 of 5 stars

I did not like this book. Everything felt... flat. The characters were two-dimensional and there were no characteristics or things noticed that weren't relevant to the predictable plot. So many emotionally traumatic things happen and are brushed over when the author could have fairly easily turned it into a compelling story of people dealing with unimaginable losses. That's a good summary of my feelings for this book - it's too unemotional. I generally feel that it shouldn't have been categorize...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I may be rather peculiar as a reader; some people read for the plot, but I get lost in the settings and the characters. In this respect, The Unnaturalists was a masterful work. The setting was unique -- an alternate, magical London. The characters were convincing and, while not perfect people, real enough that you didn't question their motives, which makes them -- in my book -- perfect characters.

The one thing I would question about this book is its target audience. While I think this was writte...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Van rated it 3 of 5 stars

I remember the first time I saw the cover for this novel, it blew me away! It’s one of those books you would buy just on the cover alone, but the summary was unlike anything I’ve heard of before…fantastical/mythical creatures displayed in museum. These unnatural creatures are very much alive, but are like stone statues because they’re under a shield force that keeps them stationary. Hmm, where to begin? The novel wasn’t what I thought it would be. The book was told from two perspectives, Syrus t...more I remember the first time I saw the cover for this novel, it blew me away! It’s one of those books you would buy just on the cover alone, but the summary was unlike anything I’ve heard of before…fantastical/mythical creatures displayed in museum. These unnatural creatures are very much alive, but are like stone statues because they’re under a shield force that keeps them stationary. Hmm, where to begin? The novel wasn’t what I thought it would be. The book was told from two perspectives, Syrus the Tinker and Vespa, with chapters alternating between the two. The word-building was very interesting, setting in an alternative steampunk London but there were too much information to process and at times the lack of information. I felt there were many little stories all going on at once in regards to the main plot problem and at times when the author is mentioning an unnatural creature/or background information it isn’t explained thoroughly leaving the reader mystified and lost.

Vespa Nyx our heroine wants to break the traditional mold of what society thinks a Victorian lady should be, and while in the end she accomplishes that she didn’t stand out in any way through the book. I never felt a connection with Vespa, she never did or said anything remarkable. Vespa is supposed to be the savior of the people and have insane magical power, but nothing showed for it. Then there’s the love interest Bayne, I do not see anything appealing in his characters. His interaction with Vespa were odd, because he was always distancing himself from her or giving her the cold shoulder…it was very limited interaction. Most of the time he was trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t like her; I honestly don’t even remember the reason why! Syrus the Tinker was the only interesting character, with much more emotion than the other two main characters. I was more engrossed when his POV chapters came up than Vespa. The rest of the secondary characters in the books were MEH- I didn’t care for them, and they weren’t that memorable.

Overall this was a good book…not great but good. There were a lot of flaws, but the concept is so original, I just wish it was executed better. Why am I giving this book 3 star and not 2? It still a decent book, and like I said I love the idea of unnatural creatures being displayed in the museum, and as you read on what happens to all those disappearing unnatural creatures. While the overall book didn’t blow me away like the cover, but I think other readers might enjoy it more than me. This isn’t a fast paced book; everything that happens is at a general/constant speed. So, if you’re expecting a climax in the story or explosive action scenes…then you might want to think twice before reading this book, its more on the slow side. (less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Jerome rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural-females, finished-in-2012

Welcome to New London, a steampunk world where magic is possible but strictly forbidden. But there is something wrong in this world. It isn't as it should be as the magic is being destroyed. This in turn lets the waste grow threatening New London. If the world isn't put right again, then the waste will consume all. This can be only be corrected by the powers of a witch. But this young witch is so inexperienced and easily taken advantage of. How can she do anything to save her world? With the hel...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Navdha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-don-t-know-if-i-can, idon-tlikethatcharacter, not-very-happy, not-what-i-expected, why-oh-why, yay-it-s-over, ummm-really

The Unnaturalists is a brilliant book in terms of creative world building, well paced plot, intriguing story line and beautiful mythical creatures set in an alternate Victorian era with a mixture of steampunk and fantasy. However even with such strong premise it didn't make it into my list of favorites due to reasons I'll discuss shortly.

We are introduced to a strange New London in this book that is full of mythical creatures known as Unnaturals, Pedants responsible for caging and studying thes...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is not just your ordinary steampunk! Get ready to be transported to Otherwhere, Otherwhen. Tiffany Trent has created a detailed and fascinating world and has set loose some unique and interesting players to ruin it, save it and generally wallow in it. Our heroine, Vespa wants to be an unnaturalist, studying creatures and discovering new ones. She has been a protected child and much of the book deals with her unlearning her family's worldview and learning another, truer one. She is aided and...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Krysta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mythology, series, steampunk

I quite enjoyed this book. As others have mentioned, the world-building is intriguing and well done. The first few chapters were a little difficult for me to get into but soon I was involved and found myself liking the heroine more than I did initially. There were some elements of the story that were rather predictable and a little "typical" for YA lit but in the context of this interesting alternate Victorian London that was soon forgotten. While the cover art looks industrial, this work errs o...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Opal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, young-adult

Read my reviews here and on the Akamai Reader!

The Unnaturalists is a steampunk novel contains so much more then magical creatures. With the Unnaturals there are wielders of magic, like a witch and Architects as they’re called. They added an extra dose of excitement to the story. There was also one particularly violent scene. It took me by surprise because I didn’t expect to find it it in a young adult book, but maybe I’m being over-sensitive.

I liked Vespa for the most part. She had an eagerness...more Read my reviews here and on the Akamai Reader!

The Unnaturalists is a steampunk novel contains so much more then magical creatures. With the Unnaturals there are wielders of magic, like a witch and Architects as they’re called. They added an extra dose of excitement to the story. There was also one particularly violent scene. It took me by surprise because I didn’t expect to find it it in a young adult book, but maybe I’m being over-sensitive.

I liked Vespa for the most part. She had an eagerness about her that was very refreshing. My problem with her was her unshaking confidence in people that became rather naive truth be told. For a scientific mind, you would think she’d look at the cold hard facts and discern what was in front of her rather then what was in her heart. Instead she was swayed by emotion rather then by logic.

Syrus was resourceful and resilient. He had a way about him that never ceased to give up in despite the odds. I really liked him. He’d fight and fight, no matter what. He was pretty good at it too!

I also really liked Pedant Lumin. He always managed to keep his cool and be in the right place at the right time. Lumin was all at once the dashing hero and the resourceful sidekick. The intriguing mix of roles kept me interested and I was entranced by his character the most.

One of the things I enjoyed most was their religion. Trent made science itself a religion. Scientists became patron saints. Darwin and Newton became patron saints. It was also a goddess based religion. I have to admit I’m pretty partial to goddess based religions.

Basically, the Unnaturals are being used for a hideous purpose and it’s up to the three to stop it. I was interested enough in the plot to keep reading. It was fresh enough for me to be intrigued even if it’s been recycled in one form or another. I feel like Vespa could have stood to become more fully developed to have let the story become fuller. Although the book fell on more of the supporting cast to pull it through as far as likability, it’s still a strong one. As far as likability goes, that could be a matter of preference.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Lili rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-on-tynga-s-reviews

Imagine living in a world unlike any other. In this world, magic and those who know how to wield it are automatically evil and knowledge of science is essential to living. In New London, science is everything.

THE UNNATURALISTS is a truly refreshing read. Full of steampunk elements, this fantasy and science fiction novel set in an alternate historical London will capture your attention from the very first page. Everything in this world is powered by myth.While there's only a myth to describe how...more Imagine living in a world unlike any other. In this world, magic and those who know how to wield it are automatically evil and knowledge of science is essential to living. In New London, science is everything.

THE UNNATURALISTS is a truly refreshing read. Full of steampunk elements, this fantasy and science fiction novel set in an alternate historical London will capture your attention from the very first page. Everything in this world is powered by myth.While there's only a myth to describe how this power source of myth came about, it is a huge part of everyday life and is what allows some amazing steampunk inventions to exist. Myth can create everything, even unicorns to pull along the carriages for the richer families in New London. But as we learn what brought about myth, the plot will thicken and the story will spiral out of control.

Narrated in third person, THE UNNATURALISTS will switch between focusing on Vespa Nyx—the witch who dreams of being a scholarly Pedant that will forever seek knowledge of the unnaturals and Syrus Reed—the last Tinker who has a very truthful and wise view of the world despite being the tender age of thirteen. This continued narration from different perspectives is something that I truly enjoyed. Both characters were extremely different from each other, so we would often see the same characters or hear the same myths from two different perspectives. What Vespa may have grown up fearing is something that Syrus grew up worshipping. It was intriguing and added to the overall plot. Both characters were incredibly likable and I respected Vespa’s desire to be herself and do what she wanted instead of conforming to the convoluted whims of the Empress and the richer families of New London.

This novel was extremely unpredictable. Right when I thought I had things figured out, Trent would throw another plot twist in my way. Plot twists are plentiful and though they are completely unexpected, they make the story flow quickly and elegantly, never tripping a reader up.

Because New London is so complex, it took me a few chapters to sort everything out in the beginning of the book. With Pedants and an evil Empress, unnatural creatures ranging from a sphinx to a sylphid, and a Creeping Waste that can destroy everything, New London is incredibly imaginative and initially slightly hard to grasp because the sheer awesomeness of it all is overwhelming. I would recommend checking out the beautiful cover and remembering that Big Ben was turned into a hulking Tower with a large chimney up top. It’ll help you slip easily into the world that Trent created if you use that as a focal point.

Completely imaginative and totally unexpected, THE UNNATURALISTS will appeal to any reader of fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and steampunk. While there is the smallest glimmer of romance that plays an important role in the plot, this is not a book meant for romance lovers. This novel was an amazing start to (hopefully) a new series. While the ending thankfully was not a cliff-hanger, Trent still has me begging for more.(less)

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